“Melanin Drop”

In 2014, the experimental rap artist Gavin Mays, aka Cities Aviv, decided he’d had enough of Brooklyn. It seems counterintuitive at first; most artists spend years dreaming and saving to try their luck in New York City. Yet, even as his cult fan base continued to grow after his Black Pleasure and Come to Life LPs, Mays returned home to the sleepy suburbs of Memphis.

Two years and a release later, “Melanin Drop” finds Mays continuing to swim against the current. It's his best track in some time. Rather than molding his textured samples into neat loops, Mays pulls and pushes at them until the instrumental building-blocks are barely recognizable. As a vocalist, Mays blends MC Ride’s aggression with a charismatic drawl recalling his frequent collaborator, Antwon. Lyrically, Mays urges us to take a hard look at the world all around. “Recognize who you are,” he raps, “All this is no mirage/All this is no facade.” In a moment of respite, he finally lets his stuttering samples unravel, revealing a laid-back jazz loop replete with a smooth sax. “These Niggas don’t even see this shit,” Mays remarks. The track may be jarring on some ears; to others, Mays' path may make little sense. But “Melanin Drop” clearly has a vision.